Hounds set LSC triples records, rally for 13-10 win

April 19, 2011

CNJ staff

PORTALES — Junior second baseman Daniel Patching set a Lone Star Conference record with three triples and Eastern New Mexico University tied an LSC mark with five three-baggers as a team as the Greyhounds overcame a 7-0 first-inning deficit to edge University of the Southwest 13-10 in a non-league game Tuesday night at Greyhound Field.

Andrew Martin (1-7) worked three innings in relief to get the win, allowing one run on three hits. Senior right-hander Anthony Smith, ENMU’s fifth pitcher, got the final four outs for his fourth save of the season.

Leadoff man Micah Martinez went 4-for-6, including a home run to start the game. The Mustangs (13-31) sent 12 men to the plate in the opening inning in chasing ENMU starter Aaron Anderson.

Six of the runs scored after two were out — five on singles and one on a wild pitch from Anderson, which ended his night.

Patching, who had not tripled this season, hit a one-out triple in the first and scored on Joe Huwer’s groundout. He added run-scoring triples in the fourth and seventh.

Mitch Wolfe and Luis Quinones, neither of whom had tripled this season, got the other three-baggers for ENMU (13-25), which tied the conference record set by Angelo State in 2010 against East Central.

Designated hitter Dillon Downs went 3-for-4 with an RBI single in the sixth and a two-run homer, his first, in the eighth to make it 13-9. Second baseman Chris Eaton hit his second homer of the year, a two-run shot in the second inning.

The Mustangs collected 21 hits, but scored only three runs off 12 knocks over the final eight innings. Shortstop Joshua Cappello and center fielder Matt Peoples had three hits each for USW.

USW stranded 12 baserunners in the contest. The Hounds also helped themselves by turning three double plays.

ENMU took its first lead at 10-8 with four unearned runs in the sixth off USW’s Alfonso Alonzo (0-4), set up by a one-out error by first baseman Gary Valenzuela. Wolfe tied the game with a two-run triple, then Downs added his RBI single and came around when Quinonez tripled to center field.

ENMU returns to LSC competition this weekend with a three-game series at Tarleton State.